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RE: ISWS04 || Interviewing a Nigerian Law Student Who's Pursuing the Law Career to Help the Suffering Nigeria
In many countries, young people are discouraged from pursuing university degrees. It's sad to see how we're being manipulated.
In the end, there comes a point where one asks oneself, "Why didn't I do this thing I longed for so much?" And we discover that it was because we wanted to gain the approval of others.
I congratulate you for being brave and for demonstrating through your example the idealizations that others have about some aspects of life.
@ukpono. I hadn't had the privilege of reading about your experience until today. Thanks to my friend @boosj23.
Thank you for sharing your thought on this. In my country, it's quite the reverse. Young people are encouraged to pick up University degrees. It's that serious that 18+ year olds would choose anything from medicine to zoology.
We believe that education is the key to success. And I think we have one of the highest Masters and PhD holders home and abroad. Speaking from experience because there are many PhD holders in my family, including my late grandpa.
I believe it's because the cost of education is affordable here (though it's been rising lately). And students have access to scholarships from NGOs, their villages, including the federal and state government who offer heavily subsidized fees, bursaries and interest-free education loans.
That's not to say we don't have expensive schools where students pay as high as $2,800 per academic session.
Because of this, studying some courses like law, medicine, pharmacy and certain aspects of engineering is highly competitive. It one of the reasons why Bossj asked why it's difficult to study law in Nigeria. Because over 80% of JAMBITES from Art classes want to be here.
Many young people desire this. Honestly, I was one of them and how I stood my ground to pursue getting this course without cutting corners is a story for another day.
You see this particular quote, I agree with you. 💯 Many students wish to study highbrow courses just to feel validated. They believe the best way to prove their intelligence or achieve success is by becoming medical doctors. So, if someone with 320 points in JAMB decides to study Nutrition and Dietetics, the average person wonders, "Why waste your intelligence?"
"Why didn't you pick Medicine or Law?"
I could go on and on but everything you've said here is true. Even though the desire to pursue university degrees is the reverse in my country, we still have people who follow certain paths to feel validated. In their midst, we also have people who are rewriting the narrative and redefining the status quo by either focusing on entrepreneurship instead of amassing academic laurels, pursuing less competitive courses or pursuing their dream courses with purpose.